The jackpot keeps growing
Can you imagine waking up one morning and finding out you’re $680 million richer? That’s what could happen for one lucky winner in the next Mega Millions drawing on Friday night. The jackpot has now surged to an estimated $680 million, putting it among the top 10 largest prizes in the game’s history.
The huge pot grew after no ticket matched all six numbers in Tuesday’s drawing. The winning numbers were 2, 18, 27, 34, 59, and the gold Mega Ball was 18. That near miss means even more money is being added to the next drawing — and now, players across the country are dreaming big once again.
According to the Mega Millions website, the cash value of the prize stands at $318.2 million before taxes. That’s the amount you’d take home if you chose the lump-sum payment instead of the annuity that pays out over 30 years.
Millions in smaller prizes already claimed
Even though no one hit the jackpot this week, plenty of people still got lucky. The October 21 drawing produced nearly 437,000 winning tickets across all prize tiers, totaling about $12 million in smaller winnings.
One ticket sold in Illinois matched all five white balls, snagging the second-tier prize worth at least $1 million — or even more if the player added the optional Megaplier feature.
If you’re wondering when the jackpot was last claimed, that happened on June 27, 2025, when a ticket sold in Virginia took home the top prize. Since then, the amount has been climbing steadily with every drawing that passes without a big winner.
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A look back at record-breaking jackpots
While $680 million is nothing to sneeze at, it still has a way to go before catching up with the all-time Mega Millions records. The largest jackpot ever was a mind-blowing $1.602 billion, won on August 8, 2023.
Here’s a quick look at some of the biggest Mega Millions prizes in history:
- $1.602 billion – August 8, 2023
- $1.537 billion – October 23, 2018
- $1.348 billion – January 13, 2023
- $1.337 billion – July 29, 2022
- $1.269 billion – December 27, 2024
- $1.128 billion – March 26, 2024
- $1.050 billion – January 22, 2021
- $810 million – September 10, 2024
- $680 million (current) – October 2025
- $656 million – March 30, 2012
So yes, the current jackpot is in elite company — the ninth-largest in Mega Millions history.
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How to play—and what your odds really are
If you’re feeling lucky, here’s a quick refresher: Mega Millions tickets cost $5 each, and you can buy them in 45 states, plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 p.m. ET.
Each ticket contains five white balls (numbers 1 to 70) and one gold Mega Ball (numbers 1 to 25). To win the jackpot, you have to match all six numbers exactly.
But here’s the catch — your odds of hitting the jackpot are 1 in 290.5 million. To put that in perspective, you’re more likely to be struck by lightning multiple times than win the top prize. Still, the odds of winning any prize (even a small one) are a much friendlier 1 in 23.
The buzz builds before Friday’s drawing
With the jackpot climbing past the half-billion mark, convenience stores and gas stations across the country are seeing longer lines as hopeful players grab their tickets. For many, it’s not just about the money—it’s about the dream of what that kind of win could mean: paying off debt, buying a home, or helping family.
Even if the odds are steep, that tiny chance at $680 million is enough to make Friday night feel a little more exciting.
So, if you’re planning to play, make sure to grab your ticket before 10:45 p.m. ET on Friday. Who knows? The next Mega Millions millionaire—or billionaire—could be you.
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